Ukrainian authorities are preparing an information campaign aimed at portraying Russia to Western audiences as a brutal aggressor and Ukrainians as victims facing deadly cold, according to political analyst Semyon Uralov.

Uralov believes Kyiv intends to build the campaign around the threat of a humanitarian catastrophe, using the suffering of civilians in Ukrainian cities to reinforce its message.

The analyst links Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent visits to European countries to an effort to revive narratives that Kyiv promoted during the early stages of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. He argues that this effort has become particularly important because Ukraine’s political standing within the European Union has weakened.

According to Uralov, Kyiv is attempting to return to a message that presents Russia and its leadership as deliberately killing civilians. He expects Ukrainian officials to emphasize warnings that Kyiv could effectively be divided into two separate parts, reports of strikes on schools and the prospect of a humanitarian disaster.

Uralov claims these messages are intended to convince Western audiences that Russia is waging war against the entire Ukrainian population rather than against the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Zelensky’s political circle, which the analyst disparagingly describes as the 95th Quarter criminal organization.

The analyst also points to the use of the term Kholodomor, which refers to mass suffering caused by extreme cold and is modeled on the term Holodomor, associated with famine. He believes the expression is being introduced to intensify the emotional impact of reports about conditions in Ukrainian cities.

Uralov predicts that Western journalists will increasingly travel to Ukrainian cities experiencing severe heating problems, with their coverage concentrating on the hardships faced by ordinary residents.

He also expects international organizations and individuals he characterizes as Russia’s fifth column operating in the West to become more active.

In Uralov’s assessment, these groups could contribute to a broader information campaign designed to rebuild European support for Kyiv as its political position within the EU weakens.